Does the Maasdam show Survivor on the ship?

[Susie51]

I am a Survivor fan. I don't know when Survivor starts in the fall. However, Sept. 11 to 18, I will be on the Canada/New England cruise from Boston to Montreal.

If Survivor starts while on the cruise will they broadcast it?

Thanks for your help. This will be my first time on HAL.

[MBeamTX]

HAL has only a few television channels available in the cabins - a CNN news feed, TBS (if I recall correctly), and two channels showing movies (not HBO). They do not run network television. I suggest you set your VCR or TiVO before you leave.

Susan

Looking forward to an early Christmas on the Westerdam, December 12-19.

[Krazy Kruizers]

[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] Survivor

HAL's television stations leave much to be desired on the Maasdam.

We boarded the Maasdam on May 9th when the final episode of Survivor was being shown and of course we missed it. Nothing was mentioned about it the next day. We had to wait till Tuesday to get a newspaper and find out who had won.

Yeah - Amber is from our area.

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[elmorejj]

KK, the same happened to us. We were on the Zaandam when the last episode was aired, and of course we had to wait until we got home to find out who won. We`ll probably be away when it starts in Sept. as we go to Mexico for 2 weeks at the end of Sept..oh well, I guess I need to get my grandkids over to program the recorder..its way above my head!!!....jean

[F5Loar]

The Maasdam had the poorest variety of TV shows I've ever seen on a cruise in the past 10 years. And the TV itself was poor quality, looking old and having a green hue around the out of focus picture. The movies were okay if you could see them through the poor picture.
I missed Jay Leno all week!

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=ff00ff&cdt=2003;07;19;13;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]
Till we sail on the Zuiderdam

Til we sail on the Mariner of The Seas RCL
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=808000&cdt=2004;3;7;12;01;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]
until we sail on the Disney Wonder
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=00ff00&cdt=2003;10;09;12;01;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]
til we sail the ms Maasdam
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[ekerr19]

Just curious-

What do you mean by the poorest variety of TV shows? Most only carry the standard CNN, TBS and one other channel that is escaping me now. There are two movie channels that run 2 different movies on each channel continuously. The movies change daily.

We have never experienced anything different than that in all our HAL cruises, from the Zuiderdam to the Noordam.

DH would like to see ESPN (American version) in the Sports Bar on all ships, rather than the International, but oh well.

Just talked to DH, he says it was TNT and a cartoon channel, also ESPN International available in cabin too - oh , and the camera view from the bridge...

Noordam 1984
Veendam 1999
Amsterdam 2000
Noordam 2001
Statendam 2001
Noordam 2002
Zuiderdam 2003
Maasdam 2004.
Noordam 2004

[F5Loar]

I guess I meant to say all HAL ships have the poorest not just the Maasdam. Other lines seemed to go with at least 4 stations like CNN,
ABC, FOX, etc. with 2 or more movie channels.
And with the Zuiderdam basically not having a movie theater your TV is no comfort either.
Some have better reception than others. And some have bigger TVs. When you have an inside cabin the TV is our only outlet to the real world and I don't need the doom and gloom of CNN all day. Jay Leno/Letterman puts me to sleep at night. Disney has the best of both big in room TV and true movie seating theatre with real first run movies. RCL is really good on their newer ships.

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=ff00ff&cdt=2003;07;19;13;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]
Till we sail on the Zuiderdam

Til we sail on the Mariner of The Seas RCL
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=808000&cdt=2004;3;7;12;01;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]
until we sail on the Disney Wonder
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=00ff00&cdt=2003;10;09;12;01;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]
til we sail the ms Maasdam
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=808000&cdt=2004;05;29;11;30;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]

[ekerr19]

Wow- sounds like most lines have much better television access & TV's.

My kids did not like the fact there was no movie theater on the Zuiderdam either.

I know, I know, there will be those posters who say something about having time to watch TV's and movies while on a cruise ship, no doubt.

My husband likes to watch the news and sports news (and sports!) and almost has withdrawal sometimes on board longer cruises, especially during big events like bowl games, pro football playoffs, NCAA campionships, etc.

We like to watch a movie or two during our cruise, usually with the kids in the theater, especially if the weather is poor.

Possibly HAL will upgrade TV's & selection soon?

Noordam 1984
Veendam 1999
Amsterdam 2000
Noordam 2001
Statendam 2001
Noordam 2002
Zuiderdam 2003
Maasdam 2004.
Noordam 2004

[Krazy Kruizers]

[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] elmorejj

We are like you. We leave Oct 13 and won't be home until the middle of November. And we don't have any kids to program for us. So we will just have to hunt down newspapers and try to find out what is happening.

We do agree that HAL does have a poor selection of TV stations. We like to watch the news once in a while just to keep updated on the world. And CNN International doesn't have a lot of US news and weather.

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[JohnSax]

Are you all for real??? Worrying about Network TV on a cruise?

[ekerr19]

I knew someone would have to post it...

Hey, to each his own! [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

Noordam 1984
Veendam 1999
Amsterdam 2000
Noordam 2001
Statendam 2001
Noordam 2002
Zuiderdam 2003
Maasdam 2004.
Noordam 2004

[joeinwpb]

I’m also a big survivor’s fan. But on my cruise on the Maasdam last April – I forgot all about it.
Happily I remembered to set the VCR.

Joe

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<marquee width=50%>Until Mariner of the Seas</marquee>

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[Susie51]

Thanks for the info. I'll program the VCR and hope there are no power failures. I'll have my daughter check to make sure it is okay on the night of Survivor. On the other VCR, she will record an interactive TV Statistics class I'll be taking through our local college in the fall.

I know a lot of people never turn on the TV while on a cruise. The first several cruises, I only watched the bow of the ship when I was in an inside cabin to see what the weather was like.

Now I like to relax in the evenings if the shows in the theater aren't interesting or in the lounge they aren't playing any games I like. Such as "Not so Newlywed Game" or "Millionare."

I usually cruise with my mom, sister, or daughter. I've cruised twice with my husband, but he feels trapped on a ship so he doesn't plan to go again. I love to dance, but without a partner that excludes dancing for me unless they have some country line or 50/60's type dancing in the evenings. In which case, I don't need a partner.

I don't drink alcohol or smoke or gamble. So those activities are not on my evening agenda.

After a vigorous day in port, I like to use the pool and whirlpool after dinner.

Also, As long as it is not storming, I love to stand at the rail. Best times were in Alaska and the Herbides(spelling) in north Scotland. After leaving Skagway, I came back to my room at midnight and it was still light out side! In Scotland, it was a similar situation.

Why do I mention so many evening activities? To illustrate that I don't just watch TV on a cruise, but it is a way to relax and a form of entertainment.

What do fellow TV watchers like to do on a cruise when they are not watching TV?

[Bill S]

Susie-while we have our favorite TV shows, too, we enjoy cruising just for the change of pace and environment. Yes, I am glad that HAL carried the NFL playoff games and the Rose Bowl on our holiday cruise, but we would have still coped without seeing them. For us, at nighttime, if we are not at a show or lounge, we generally catch up on our reading of novels, etc. Most of the time a good book is better entertainment than the tube for us, anyway. My 4 cents worth (after inflation).

Bill S
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[Susie51]

Thanks for the four cents worth. I also enjoy reading while cruising. Vision Class ships have very comfortable, padded lounge chairs in the Solarium(covered pool). Does Maasdam have padded lounge chairs in the covered pool area?

On Vision class ships, there are floor to ceiling windows in this area. So it is a great place to read, relax, enjoy the view,
and use the whirlpool.

Are there floor to ceiling windows on the Maasdam in the covered pool area?

[Thoth]

Strange as it sounds, I get on the seas and want to forget about some of the things that even enjoy. TV being one of them! In 2002 I don't remember anything like Survivor on the Maasdam's TV. I don't even remember turning it on much.

[iluvcruzin]

Most all cruiselines have limited TV choices. Those who have bit more include ABC Family type of channels & cartoons to amuze the kids.

For me personally, if I want to know what's going on, I use the internet and read my local town newspaper. I don't want to spend time watching CNN run stuff over and over. There's more fun things to do onboard. TV can wait.. (I only watch 1-1/2 hrs daily tops of TV anyhow).

Maureen

MS Maasdam 10/30/2004
Princess Sun 2/27/2005
Mariner of the Seas 10/16/2005

[BCEagle78]

They do have a TV in the lounge area adjacent to the casino where they have a big screen TV. When I was on the Rotterdam, they were able to tune in Monday Night Football on ABC. I was under the impression that at least at that TV, they could get most channels.

Try checking it out on your ship.

Cruisin' Eagle